Kitchen towel rack



Dec. 18, 1928.

O. KARTZMARK KITCHEN TOWEL RACK Filed Ndv. 22, 1926 2 S bsets-Sheet i INVENTOR Dec.18,-1928. 1,695,429

0. KARTZMARK 1 4 xrrcimn TOWEL RACK I 7 .Filed Nov. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 OTTO KABTZMARK, OF WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

KITCHEN TOWEL RACK.

. Application filed November 22, 1926. Serial No. 149,913.

This invention relates to household appli-' ances and has particular'reference to racks or driers for dish towels or the like in con nection with supporting means commonly found in such portions of the household.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a rack for the support and drying of towels, dish cloths, and so forth, that is neat in appearance, strong in construction, easy of operation, and one that may be applied with facility to the fixed support, such as a .water boiler commonly found associated with coal or gas ranges.

Among the more specific objects of this improvement is to provide a band or belt for engagement around a kitchen boiler or the like, in the proximity of suitable heat for the purpose, and having secured to or associated with said band or belt a series of-socket pieces, each carrying an arm adapted to be supported thereby in either pendant idle'position, or in horizontal supporting position, and such action of each arm is independent of the position or action of any of the other arms of the series.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts'hereinafter described and claimedyand while the invention is not restricted to the exact details'pf construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference ishad tothe accompanying.drawings in which like when enee characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in Which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a rigid support such as a kitchen boiler show-- ing diagrammatically my improvement applied thereto. 3

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontalsection of the same on the line 22, but with all the arms elevated.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the belt coupling'means on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 4. i

Fig. 47 is an inside face view of the parts shown in Fig. j

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the socket pieces and its armin horizontal position. V Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a verticalsection on the line 8+8 of Fig. 5, and indicating also in ,dotand dash lines a transitory position of the arm. I Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6, but with the arm in pendant position; j

Fig. 10 is a plan view of'the blank from which the socket piece is formed.

Fig. 11 is a plan viewof the pivot member for each arm. V 1

Fig. '12 is an enlarged sectional view of the same on the line 12'-12 of Fig. 11. l

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show at B a strong upright support which may be thought of as a standard hot water boiler commonly found in a kitchen adjacent to a range, the same being filled with water kept normally warm or hot according to the amount of heat carried in the range. The boiler is usually self supported in strong and dependable position and quite capable of supporting the items now about to be described. Theboiler,'furthermore, is usually located in a corner or adjacent to a'wall in such position as to be as much out of the way. of the usual trafiic as possible and also in the position most favorable for the support of garment or cloth supporting means.

10 indicates a belt or band made preferably of sheet metal and of any suitable length according to the circumference of .thesupport B. This band is usually made of two parts, one of which has a series of holes 11 arranged in pairs for the reception of a pair of hooks 12 borne by theend of the other section of the band. Figs. 2, 3, and't indicate how the precise or approximately precise length of the band may be determined according to variations in circumference'of the supports. The ends. of the band remote "from the coupling just described are bent at angles and accommodate a pair of clamping bolts 13in a strong reliable manner and in a position most obscureor out of the way. i

-In'the formation of the band 10 there are punched or otherwise formed a series of groups of holes or slots 14, preferably four slots in each group, the slots extending vertically or transversely of the band.

Associated with each group of slots 14 is a socket piece 15 shown infiat blank form in lar and parallelcheek pieces 16 and 17 con- 3 nected across the top by a bridge ,18'lying proximate to the band when in use, but cut away remote from the band, leaving a. clearance between the cheek pieces at 19. A tongueQO in the blank lies as aflat extension of the connection or bridgerpiece 18, said tongue being folded inward around a. bending.

line 21 so as to extend at an oblique angle with respect to the bridge 18 and folded again on a line 22 to form with the bridge 18 a triangular abutment shown best in Fig. 8. The blank is slitted at 23 to facilitate this folding or bending action of the tongue and to leave a little clearance at 24 in the finished unit be tween the abutment and the band 10.

For the anchorage of the socket piece to the hand I provide a series of lips 25 suitably spaced and shaped to conform with the group of slots 14 above described through which the lips project and over which they are clinched on the inner surface of the band. While the bridge 18 and tongue 20 constitute a stiffener for the socket piece and a spacer for the cheek pieces, especially at the top, I provide a spacer 26 acting similarly for the bottom of the socket piece, the same terminating in a lip 27 which is received between a pair of spaced lips 28 formed on the remote cheek piece. The lips 27 and 28 are bent at right angles and interlock as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bridge panel 26 being bent for such purpose along the bending lines 29 and 30.

The cheek pieces 16 and 17 extend well beyond the bridge or spacing panels 18 and 26 and away from the band, such extended portions being provided with aligned or registen ing are shaped slots 31. These slots have shorter upper ends 31 and longer lower ends 31 the longer ends being extended clownward and outward from the band or anchor connections between the socket piece and the band. Thus there are formed in each slot two seats, one at 32 at the bottom of the short end, and anotherat 33 at the bottom of the longer end.

(lo-operating with and pivoted in each socket piece is an arm 34 which for neatness of appearance and best practical use is prefer ably made of wood. Secured in a hole adjacent to the inner or upper end of the arms is a pivot pin 35 having at one end a head 36 and at the other end an annular groove 37, the groove being formed to accommodate a spring cotter 38, the legs of which are divergent from each other for easy assemblage. The pin is long enough to extend through the registering slots 31 and receive the cotter on the outside remote fromthe head. This pin, therefore, constitutes a permanent means for pivoting the arm within the socket piece, but there is sufficient freedom of movement between. the arm and socket piece to enable the arm to be manipulated as now to be de scribed. In normal idle position the arms hang pendant as shown in Fig. 1, thepin of each of which rests at such time upon the seats 33. At the upper side of each arm andad j acent to its pivotal end is formed a notch 39 formed as a counterpart of the abutment 20 with which it co-operates when the arm is in horizontalcloth supporting position as'in Fig. 8. WVhen an arm is to be used, the operator simply lifts the lower end thereof, swinging the arm upward to horizontal and slightly above horizontal position as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 8, the pin 35 at such time riding along the slots 31 and the point or nose 40 of the arm gliding under the lower angle of the abutment and thence upward into the space at 24 between the abutment and the band 10. At this time the pin finds its seat at 32 in the shorter end of'the slots 31. The arm is thus held in perfectly horizontal. position and so interlocked. or anchored with respect to the abutment ant hook portion 41 adjacent to the bend in the slots 31 as to make it impossible for it to fall or slip out of place accidentally. The structure has strength enough to sustain any number of cloths or towels that may be supported upon the arms thereof for drying purposes. When any arm has served its purpose as just described it may. be lowered to idle inactive position simply by lifting slightly on the outer surface thereof to disconnect the nose 10 from the abutment, the pin at such time riding freely down to its position upon the seat 33 where it is held as shown in Fig. 9 until it is to be used again.

The construction is designed especially for attachment to the boiler B by any person that has the slightestfamiliarity with tools. The construct-ion is made up for exploitation as a mail order item, and with a simple set of directions, the housewife or any one else convenient or available may by following the directions attach the device to the support. The socket pieces are attached to the band at the factory. Each arm carries its pin and cotter. In order to assemble or set up the device the band is fitted around the support, proper selection of holes 11 being made for the purpose, and the band is eventually locked in fixed position by means of the bolts 13. The cotters 38 are then slipped off the pins 35. The pins are slipped down the arms, and

after the arms are inserted into the socket pieces the pins arereturned to original position and locked by means "of their spring cotters. The width of the arms is so designed as to insure free swinging and sliding movement thereof within the space between the cheek pieces 16 and 1? of the socket pieces, and yet the socket pieces are so constructed as to prevent any material degree of lateral looseness or play of the arms.

I claim:

1. In a towel rack of the nature set forth, the combination of afband comprising two parts, the one having a rigid hook, the other a series of spaced holes extending therealong for adjustable connection of the two-parts with each other and tension means for clamping the band to a support to make the adjustable connection secure, a series of inde pendently operable arms, and a like series of socket pieces for connecting the arms indi- 'vidually to the band and adapted to hold the arms in either horizontal towel supporting position, or in idle pendant position.

2. In a towel rack, the combination with a supporting band and means to secure itto a rigid support, of a towel supporting arm, and a socket piece for connecting the arm to the band, said arm and socket piece being provided with a pivot pin with the arm in horizontal position, there being a slot in the socket piece for the pin permitting the arm to be moved manually in said plane outward from the band to clear the abutment and permit the arm to swing downward.

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 2 in which the socket piece is provided with two parallel cheek pieces having registering slots through which the pivot pin projects, the socket piece having an inbent integral abutment between the cheek pieces, and the pivot end of the arm having a notch complemental to the abutment when the arm is horizontal, and the cheek pieces having means co-operating with the pivot to prevent accidental disconnection of the arm from the abutment.

4. In a towel rack of the nature set forth, the combination with a supporting band, of a series of sheet metal socket pieces secured thereto in spaced relation, and a series of arms, one for each socket piece pivotally and slidably movable therein respectively, each socket piece having a pair of spaced parallel cheek pieces having registering slots remote from the band, a pivot pin extending through said slots and arm for connecting the arm to the socket piece, the socket piece having an inbent abutment formed therein and the arm having a notch complemental to the abutment and having a nose projecting into the space between the abutment and the band, and the cheek pieces being formed with positive supportin means adjacent to the slots for positively holding the pivot pin in such position as to prevent accidental withdrawal of the arm from the. abutment when in supporting position. I

5. A construction asset forth in claim 4 in which the pivot pin for each arm is provided with ahead at one end and a circumferential groove at the other end, and a spring cotter having slip connection with the groove, said head and said cotter being outside of said.

cheeks.

6. The herein described socket piece for towel racks integrally formed and'comprising a pair of cheek pieces having inte ral connection with each other througha bri ge,

socket piece and an arm movable with relation to the socket piece so as to occupy either pendant idle position or a horizontal supporting position, said socket piece comprising .two parallel cheek pieces having registering slots of curved form, the cheek pieces adjacent to one end of each slot being formed with a shoulder constituting a hook, the socket piece between the cheek pieces being formed at the top with adownwardly projecting abutment, the socket end of the arm being provided along its free edge with a notch complemental to the abutment, and a pivot member projecting through the arm and said slots and adapted to travel laterally of itself along said slots and co-operate with said hooks to interlock the end of the arm in connection with the abutment in towel supporting position, the arm being disconnected from the abutment by lifting upward and drawing outward upon the arm to release it and allow the pivot pin to move toward the opposite end of the slots.

8. A device of the character described, including a socket member made of sheet material and comprising a pair of side cheek pieces, said pieces having integral connection with each other through a top bridge, said bridge having an inwardly bent abutment tongue, said pieces being provided with pivoting means in spaced relation to said tongue.

9. A device of the character described, including a socket member, and a supporting bar mounted therein, said socket member having a wedge abutment, said bar having a notch to closely engage said abutment, there being pin and slot engagement between said bar and said socket to permit the release of the bar from engagement with said abutment for down folding of the bar, said slot providing a seat guarding against the release of the bar from engagement with the abutment when. so engaged, the wedge engagement insuring retentionof the pin within said seat against unintended displacement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' OTTO KARTZMARK. 

